Competition
by allissariddle
Summary: HPDM HGBZ. Hermione finds her self some intellectual competition as Harry and Hermione work through the trials and tribulations of Slytherins. Evil or just Snarky? REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

BZ/HG, DM/HP. So contains slash obviously. Written because I'm ill (when it's the end of term and I should be spending my time in a constant alcohol induced stupor) and can't sleep because the walls in my dorm room are ridiculously thin and my friend likes to watch repeats of Jeremy Kyle (British talk show for all you Americans etc) until the early hours of the morning. But I rather like it so decided to post it and see what you think. I'm also rather proud of the chapter length as I have the attention span of a retarded goldfish. I'll carry on writing and you can let me know if you want more of it posted. Feel free to make any comments you so wish. Romance, Humour and perhaps a tad bit of angst, but only a little, cause we like to be happy people, right?

I own nothing but some painkillers, Lemsip and flu tablets.

She raced ahead toward the finish line as she felt her newest opponent creep up behind her. She was sweating as her hair, which she had attempted to tame only this morning, reached a new level of bushiness seen only in her first two years of Hogwarts. The air was crackling with electricity as she saw Harry watch her from the sidelines with the look of growing amusement he always wore when she competed in the races. She was always the strongest contender in these races. That was until one young man had strolled calmly and collectively out of the woodwork and challenged her to her toughest competition yet. They had toiled to win, each winning some and losing some, until recently, when she had seemed to lose more then she had won. This was her moment of glory though and she felt a surge of adrenaline run through her as she reached the last leg of the race….

"Finished professor!"

Damn, she thought as she lay down her quill after finishing her last theory of transfiguration question, he had done it again. She shot a covert look out of the corner of her eye and was not surprised to see him simply hand his finished questions to Professor McGonagall and divert his attention to whispering the answers quietly to Malfoy as the blonde cheated his way through yet another theory mock exam. He did not even flicker an eyelid as she raised her hand to let the professor know she had finished, though she could swear he must feel it just like she did. The competition, the electricity, the last surge past the finish line, but no it seemed that Blaise Zabini, with all his fire and intelligence, was simply unaware of this one sided little race for glory. And that was it, that was the one thing that annoyed her most. Not the fact that at the present time he seemed to beat her at everything she did, but the fact that he was so arrogant as to ignore her as a challenge. Was she not clever enough, had she not proved time and time again that she was the smartest, most logical witch Hogwarts has ever seen! She slammed her fist on her desk so loud that those within a five metre vicinity turned to give her bewildered looks including Ron who of course was oblivious, until now, to her current state of anxiety. Harry on the other hand had a half amused, half knowing look in his eye that he had seemed to wear constantly since the start of sixth year.

It was something he had acquired over the summer, well, that and his new found knowledge that he was in fact gay. Yup gay, who would have thought it. Hermione had been the first to know of course, and even she was a little surprised. Harry had never been known for his impeccable dress sense or emotional sensitivity when it came to her moodier times of the month, but he had come back from his summer holidays with a new innate knowledge of exactly how to react when you were cramping, screaming or crying. Though of course Harry would always be Harry, and his new found homosexuality would never take away from his horrendous temper which still scared the most masculine of men when aroused, and his entire lack of fashion sense. Yes, gay or not, he was still her Harry. Ron of course was another matter. When Harry had eventually got round to telling him, after a great deal of prodding on her behalf, Ron had not spoken to Harry for a whole week. Then in truly great Ron fashion, he had barged into the common room, red about the ears, and declared that if any man hurt his Harry they would have him to answer to. After the laughter had died down, and after Ron had threatened violence on every person in the room, the two had made up with a 'manly' hug and a gruff apology from Ron.

Harry of course was now hot property, many men tried to take their chance, and the girls simply would not stop trying. Ron made it his business to look out for Harry and establish whether each prospective mate was good enough, which of course they were not. That, thankfully, allowed Hermione time to herself without having her 'two big brothers' around to scare off her own prospective partners, not of course that she was looking. When she was not completing homework, attending to prefect duties, or of course attending to Ron's homework, she was preoccupied by the tall brooding Italian who seemed to have been inadvertently going out of his way to make sure he remained the bane of her existence. Yes, this man was quite a mystery to Hermione. She looked over just in time to see him give Malfoy one of his rare half smiles, or perhaps smirk would be a better word, and run his hand through his black-blue curls that were just long enough to tease the nape of his neck and fall gracefully into his eyes. He was quiet in class, and only seemed to raise his hand to answer a question when he could be bothered. He seemed to talk only to Malfoy, heaven knows why, and Theodore Nott. It seemed that the three had become the trio of Slytherin, though they were certainly not as popular as their Gryffindor comparison. In fact Hermione had noticed that the three, who would take class, eat lunch and socialize only with each other, seemed to be breaking further and further away from their Slytherin counterparts. Malfoy of course, still walked his arrogant walk, and laughed quietly when others threw scathing remarks at Harry, though no insults had ever slipped from his own lips all year, and he had become nervous at times around his own house. Hermione of course had her hopes that perhaps Malfoy was slipping from the Slytherin grasp and heritage but he still seemed firmly rooted in his king of the world capacity around all other houses. Hermione, though she tried hard not to, still believed that perhaps a Malfoy, was always a Malfoy.

Just then she was awoke form her brooding on the trio by a light tap on her shoulder.

"Mione, class was dismissed five minutes ago and I'm starving so hurry the bloody hell up!"

"Wow Ron, your social etiquette astounds me" said an amused Harry from behind Ron. "Cant you see she was checking Malfoy out"

Hermione wasted no time in whacking Harry across the arm; she could not of course reach his head after his long overdue growth spurt, with an enormous book.

Ron scoffed.

"Like our Hermione would ever stoop that low", and then proceeded to barge past any lingerers to get out the classroom.

Hermione noticed the slightly abashed look on Harry's face before his eyes resumed his usual twinkle.

"What Harry? Someone struck a chord?" she said teasingly as he grinned and put his arm round her to lead her out the classroom.

"Now why on earth would you say that" he said before whispering, "astronomy tower tonight, 11 o'clock, I feel the need for one of our little chats".

Hermione nodded, and began to make her way out of the classroom. As she reached the last row of desks someone stepped out from behind a table and collided with her, causing her to drop her Harry-hitting book. As she bent down to get it her head crashed into Harry's who had immediately bent down to help. After a certain amount of ow'ing and fussing, Hermione stood up to find herself face to face with the brightest pair of indigo eyes she had ever had the pleasure of seeing. Her breath hitched in her chest as she realized the owner of these eyes was talking to her.

"Granger, you might want to be more careful, this thing is a danger to human beings"

His words, tinted with that slight Italian accent, rolled off his tongue like honey, and it took all her Gryffindor pride not to sigh aloud. An incredibly pathetic "yes…well…" made it off her tongue as Malfoy started to snicker in the background.

"Hey Blaise, you seem to have managed to make Granger all hot and flustered. Who would have thought, little miss know it all has the ability to get excited about something other than a book…."

"Malfoy"…Harry started toward him, but was interrupted by Zabini.

"Do excuse my friend Granger, it seems jealousy will cause him to lose all capacity for manners…"

He gave her a small nod of the head and swept out of the room, leaving both herself and Malfoy gasping like fish out of water.

"Yeah yeah Malfoy, we know, girl parts are disgusting" Nott said, interrupting the inarticulate fish impressions.

"NOTT…" Malfoy managed to choke out, his face turning the colour of a particularly juicy beetroot, as he gave Harry a worried look and headed after Zabini muttering something about the impossibility of finding decent henchmen these days. Nott gave them both one last amused look as he trotted after the blonde.

"Well that was…"

"Informative" finished Harry as his gaze still lingered on the door the slytherins had swept out of. Hermione smiled, she knew exactly what he was thinking, though she was not sure it was entirely the right thing to think. 'Oh well', she thought as a fresh wave of embarrassment ran to her already flushed cheeks at the thought of her encounter with her annoyingly calm competitor, they would talk that one over tonight.

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Dinner had been the usual affair. Ron scoffed down his meal with the table etiquette of a Blast Ended Screwt, as Hermione disciplined him on the need for manners, and Harry made furtive glances across the great hall. A small amount of homework was completed after dinner, along with a large amount of lounging on the boy's behalf, and the day was well behind them. Both Hermione and Harry made a particular show of going to bed early. None of which was of course noticed by Ron, who spent the majority of the time glancing across the room at Parvati's particularly short skirt.

By the time ten thirty came, Hermione found herself sitting impatiently on her bed, waiting for eleven to come around so she could meet both Harry and his invisibility cloak in the Gryffindor common room. She was used to these late night conversations with Harry, and of course the subject matter was usually the same. Malfoy. Always Malfoy. It seemed rather ironic to Hermione that Harry would begin to have a crush on his former enemy, but apparently he had begun to feel something for Malfoy in his fourth year. She had discouraged him at first of course. In fact she hadn't understood at all. I mean for heavens sake, the boy had spent half his life calling her foul names, but she had tried to be supportive of Harry and his new sexuality and so tried to be understanding. Malfoy was handsome; there was no doubt about that. Half the school considered him some sort of sex god. He had lost the slicked back look, and now his white blonde hair fell in his eyes, which were unusual in their colour, changing between cloudy to steely silver depending on his mood. He had also grown a great deal, much the same as Harry, Draco Malfoy was no longer a boy. Though damn it she could swear that she spent half her life talking about him. Now it turned out Malfoy was inclined towards his own sex she could see that those proportions would rocket. Oh well, she supposed she got something out of it too. She usually spent the latter part of their little talks ranting about Him. Just the thought of him got her all on edge. She ran her hands through her hair and flopped back down on her bed. All he seemed to do was make her feel insecure in the only thing she had on anybody else. I mean, it wasn't like she was a social butterfly, or some sort of outstanding beauty. She couldn't fly, play any sport, damn it she couldn't even cook (bar the usual beans on toast when her parents were at work).

She got up off her bed and walked over to the full length mirror some idiotic woman seemed to think was a must have in every girl's bedroom. As it happens, all it did was to make her feel worse. I mean, god what had she done in a past life to deserve this hair. Her hair, already decidedly curly and wild had taken on a whole new level of frizziness due to her stress induced attack on it. The only thing she liked was the colour. It was a deep chestnut, and the remnants of the summers honey coloured strands still hung about her hair when the autumn sunlight decided to show its face. Of course Ginny, who for some reason had turned into Lavender Brown's evil twin sister over the summer months, was constantly nagging at her for a few highlights here or a few highlights there. So far she had resisted the urge just to give in to Ginny and her incessant beautifying and she planned to keep it that way. I mean she might not be model material but at least she could say that she didn't have to spend an hour getting ready in the morning just to look alive!

After her not so satisfying reappraisal of herself she noticed that the clock had already struck eleven so she grabbed an old jumper knitted by Mrs Weasley and hurried down the spiral staircase leading from the girl's dormitories. She saw Harry waiting by the portrait hole; the common room was unusually empty.

"It was only that seventh year Lackley left" he said noticing her surprise. "For some reason when I sat next to him and complained that we had never become properly acquainted he seemed to get miraculously tired and retired to his dorm." He said grinning.

"Harry James Potter! I never knew you had it in you!"

"Well.." said Harry, "I don't suppose the hand on the knee helped to calm his nerves…"

She gave Harry a playful tap over the head, laughing; she knew quite well that Lackley was a boy who liked to parade his masculinity around Hogwarts.

"Hey" he said as they made there way out of the portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady's questions, "in civilised circles I believe that's called Harry abuse"

"Oh I see Mr Potter" she said in her best Snape impression, "they have made up an entirely new type of abuse just for the famous Harry Potter?"

"Why of course Miss Granger, one knows that everybody loves me!"

"Oh but do they now?" she teased "Last time I checked, a certain arrogant blonde had not started sending roses over breakfast…"

"Oh woe is me…" Harry said, but she could see the slightly hurt look as his green eyes took on a new brightness.

"I was only teasing" she started.

"Don't worry about Mione, we'll leave that until were in the tower yeah?"

"Sure" she said giving him an encouraging smile as they headed stealthily threw the winding halls of Hogwarts.

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"I don't know why I like him so much, I know it's wrong I just…." Harry trailed off.

It was two hours since they had reached the astronomy tower and they had been talking about Malfoy since. It had just been the usual. How wrong it was. How much he couldn't help himself. How his hair fell sexily across his eyes. And yet for some reason, Harry had not yet brought up today's revelation. Hermione had just listened to his melancholy monologue of the woes of Malfoy hoping that he would bring up the subject when he was ready. However Harry was not just waltzing round the subject, he was pirouetting. She sighed, and thought that perhaps now was the time to throw her tact out the window.

"Harry" she said tentatively, "about today…"

He sighed and ran his hands through his jet black mess of hair.

"Wondered how long of me rambling on it would take you to bring that one up. I, I just…I don't know."

"Don't know…"

"It makes it real" Harry said suddenly and rather loudly, making her jump slightly.

"But surely that's…"

"What? A good thing? That I now have even the slightest chance with a smarmy little sod whose father is number one to an arch enemy who spends his life trying to do me in? Yeah, I mean we could just send the wedding invitations out now…."

"There's no need to get cocky with me Harry…"

"I know I'm sorry Mione, it's just difficult."

"Look, I'm not exactly Malfoy's number one fan but for the life of me I just can't imagine him being evil. There's something in him, I don't exactly what it is or whether it would take a team of highly trained specialists to find it, but there's, there's just something!" she said, trying desperately to get her meaning across to the lovesick boy.

"He has been acting weird recently, and I guess Zabini and Nott are not the most atrocious of Slytherins he could have picked for friends…" he said thoughtfully

"Exactly" she said, "I mean he done away with his two moronic bodyguards didn't he? And that Parkinson idiot has stopped hanging off him at every given moment. I mean Zabini and Nott, though one of them is the single most annoying human being on the face of the planet, generally keep themselves to themselves. I mean when have you ever heard one of them insult other people…"

"And speaking of Zabini" Harry said interrupting her rant when her train of thought had just become coherent.

"What about the Pratt?" Hermione said confused.

"Pratt?" Harry said with a snigger, "you weren't calling him a Pratt today when he was picking up your book like the perfect gentleman."

"I think you will find, Harry, that he in fact insulted my book. Which you will find that I don't find terribly charming. In fact I don't think I like what you are insinuating Mr Potter."

"Well Miss Granger, I don't know what you are insinuating that I am insinuating"

"Well you will find that I am insinuating what you insinuated to be…oh Bugger off Harry I'm not even going there."

Harry stood up and started parading round the room giving mock bows and waves.

"Oh yes, I am the king of the witty banter! The king of the witty banter am I!"

"Oh put a sock in it Harry, I think even Ronald could beat you in the witty banter portion…"

"Yeah Potter, I think Grangers finally on to something there" Drawled a voice form near the darkened doorway.

"Malfoy" Harry said as he turned worriedly from his little victory jig. The look of surprise on his face was comical. "How long have you been there?"

"Just long enough to see your unfortunate excuse for a victory dance thank god." he said, beckoning someone into the room from behind him.

Harry had visibly relaxed upon hearing that Malfoy had not heard of his confessions of lust, but tensed up again as the someone Malfoy had beckoned into the tower turned out to be more of a couple of someone's. Hermione looked up to see both Zabini and Nott come forward from the doorway. Zabini looked as usual, calm and collected with a slight semblance of a smirk evident on his face. Nott looked interested, if not slightly worried at the hand Harry held around his wand.

"Well, as a prefect I think it's going to be difficult to not punish you for being out this late…" drawled Malfoy.

"An as a prefect I could very well do the same" she said, finally finding her voice.

"You're not on duty rounds Granger"

"And if I remember rightly Malfoy, neither are you" she said standing up to her full height and placing her hands on her hips.

For some reason this seemed to make Zabini smirk even more.

"Problem Zabini?" she said, getting increasingly annoyed at his superior demeanour, I mean at least Malfoy had the decency to look annoyed.

"Not at all Granger, not at all" he said giving her a mock bow.

She sniffed at his arrogance and turned to Malfoy.

"Loath as I am to admit it Malfoy, I feel we must come to an agreement"

Malfoy obviously didn't want to give up his chance that easily.

"And why the hell should I do that, I could always just go to sev…Professor Snape, who I am sure could patch up the whole incident nicely."

"Draco just let it go" said Zabini, but not quickly enough to dim Harry's anger.

"You think just because you're a slimy death eater in waiting you can…."

Malfoy looked like he was about to explode but his voice was low, and for the first time the glint in his eye looked dangerous.

"Do… not…call…me…that…"

"Why not Malfoy, daddy won't take you into the family business?"

Before Harry could finish Zabini's wand was trained between Harry's eyes. Hermione felt herself unable to make a move to even defend Harry. She knew Zabini was talented of course, but she had never expected him to be dangerous. And frankly, his whole presence emanated power.

"Listen Potter; do not talk about things you have no hope to even begin to comprehend. You have no idea who we are."

Even Harry looked scared. Zabini, who usually spent his time lounging behind a desk, had never seemed so tall. He was well built as well. Certainly Harry would have no chance of besting him physically. Of course, that would never shut Harry up in the long run.

"Than pray tell Zabini, who are you?"

Zabini's eyes narrowed. He had obviously not expected the question. This gave Hermione a chance to put her hand over Zabini's wand and slowly lower it to his side. He looked down at his lowered wand, and then stared at the hand on her arm like it was some sort of alien life form.

"Please…" she said training her gaze on him as their eyes met for the second time that day.

"Malfoy this doesn't need to happen" she said, unable to tear her gaze away from Zabini.

Zabini gave her a slight nod and turned to Malfoy.

"Draco, it's pointless to try…."

Malfoy looked at him with what looked suspiciously like hurt in his eyes. Hermione, and from the look on his face Harry, had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Though as this seemed to placate everyone somewhat she thought it in their best interests to keep her questions to herself.

Malfoy nodded as Nott placed a hand on the small of his back and led him toward the door in an unlikely display of affection. Zabini took one last fleeting look at Harry and then an uncomfortably lingering glance directly in to Hermione's eyes and turned to leave. The two Gryffindor's did not have a chance to let out the breath they didn't even realise they were holding before Malfoy turned sharply at the door and trained his eyes on Harry.

"I am NOT my father" he said in the same low tones as before, something incomprehensible brimming in his grey eyes.

Harry simply looked straight back at him, the silence was stifling. The moment was broken as Malfoy again turned sharply and left the tower followed by his two friends.

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	2. Chapter 2

Thanks everyone for reviewing. You made me day guys.

Fortunately I am no longer ill, though the flu has been replaced with the aforementioned alcohol induced stupor/hangover, my uni flatmates think im still tucked up in bed, little do they know I am writing Harry Potter fanfiction for all you fellow addicts. Oh and thanks for having a drink for me **_vagrantben_**, I hope you're not in the same pain I am right now, though I guess if you are you just had a wicked time and thanks for the review! Glad I made you laugh _**LBuccalo** _and I very much plan to not make Hermione the self obsessed tarty airhead (who has suddenly gained "curves in all the right places" and pink belly button stud..urgh!) she seems to become in a lot of stories! Oh and **_Aria DeLoncray_** I cannot believe you have never read Draco/Harry. I shall convert you.

Keep reviewing it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside! 

I still own nothing but the painkillers (and a new scarf, yes I know its summer!) but thankfully the hot lemon drinks can be chucked out the window, though they are strangely addictive….

Blaise ran his hand through his black curls, pulling slightly too hard at the nape of his neck, as he tried to get the last equation through his head. Arithmacy, he thought, was the spawn of the devil, or perhaps Lord Voldemort. I mean, why sit and look at boring numbers all day when one could study the art or literature. I mean, lets face it, Pythagoras might have been a genius but he had nothing on Shakespeare or Keats. Because hey, at the end of the day two plus two was always going to equal four, but the principles of Truth and Beauty could be considered in five thousand different ways. Four thousand of those he was pretty sure he had already discussed over dinner with his father and brothers. It was a nightly routine at Zabini Manor. After sitting down at the massive table, which took a while considering the twins, Antoine an Annette, had serious issues with sitting still for more than five minutes, the family discussed everything from Aristotle to Dickens. The table was a large one for a reason. Blaise prided himself on his large, if slightly unusual, family. Firstly there was his father, Antonio Zabini, who spent his time managing his six children and the most prestigious wizarding law practice in London, which also had offices in Rome, Florence and Paris. It certainly made them even wealthier, though they could have easily survived on their family fortune. The Zabini's were one of the most pureblooded family's about, their line descending from as far back as BC. Blaise was proud of this, as was his father, though it certainly did not make them your average muggle hating pureblood family. Certainly not. Though granted, the Zabini's were sometimes known to delve into the darker arts, but above all they were good people. Your typical loyal, caring, and rather passionate, southern Italian family. Antonio Zabini, though he left his passion aside when in court, was your fully fledged arty, flamboyant and slightly eccentric man behind the family doors. And Blaise loved his father. His mother on the other hand had died when he was six. Though from what he remembered, and of course what he had been told, it had not been a great loss. His father had been forced into marrying his mother, Erica Lestrange, by a controlling uncle who was far to concerned with the pureblooded aristocracy of England than most Zabini's. It had been just him, his father, his older brothers Delio, Leon, and Damien, and of course the twins, ever since. He missed his older brothers, despite their incessant and rather annoying verbal jabs at the lack of Blaise's love life (all three were well practiced in the Zabini art of seduction) and even the twins, despite their hyperness, were loveable in a way. Unfortunately right now his entire family was in hiding.

Voldemort had of course come calling and the entire family had refused to be part of his campaign of terror, putting them in a very dangerous position. The enemy was not only the many joining the dark side, including Draco and Theo's parents, but those among the light who in their glorified ignorance, could not see passed the Slytherin family line and the dark and mysterious family manor, which of course simply must be filled with all manor of dark objects. It was only in a last ditch attempt by his father to ensure his family's safety that Dumbledore became the family's secret keeper and promised to look out for Blaise at Hogwarts and make sure that he got safely back to the manor in holiday time. Now there was a strange one, thought Blaise, he had never been entirely sure about Dumbledore's intentions toward his Slytherin students but he had come out on top for him and of course for Draco and Theo to. Though both the Nott's and the Malfoy's were notoriously dark family's, both seemed to have produced a wilful child who did not wish to follow in their direction. Theo was a quieter boy, he always had been, and Blaise had befriended him on their first ride to Hogwarts. He was nothing like his father. Sarcastic yes, sneaky of course, but about as far from evil as one could get without comparing to Saint Potter. Theo couldn't have served the dark lord if he had been forced. He was unable to hurt a fly and the sight of blood made him vomit almost immediately. This of course led to constant teasing on Draco's behalf. Not, of course, that Draco was any better. Though his public persona was always the perfect vision of masculinity, behind close doors, Draco was in some ways incredibly camp, whiny and unable to deal with even the slightest muscle cramp from Quidditch.

Though Draco's recently outed gayness wasn't too obvious to others, unsurprisingly it still wouldn't have gone down well with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, who were expecting the next Malfoy heir by the time Draco was twenty one, as tradition foretold. And that was the reason he had looked out Blaise and Theo, who he had previously mostly ignored due to his Lackey's Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise of course had been suspicious at first, but also a little glad. Theo had recently turned against his parents and so most of the Slytherin house and the prospect of a group of three against the rest of their house sounded far more comforting than just him and Theo. Eventually Draco had become desperate to gain Theo and Blaise' trust and completely broke his Malfoy Barrier by breaking down in tears. It never happened again and very soon he was back (with some exceptions) to the old Draco though he had gained, along with an alliance with Dumbledore and Christmas and summers at the hidden Zabini Manor, two new friends in himself and Theo. It was perhaps this and the absence of his father that allowed the real Draco to shine through. Snarky, sharp and sometimes bordering on insulting, but also fiercely loyal and strangely affectionate when he thought it was needed. Of course Blaise was from a family of affectionate brothers who thought little of kissing each other goodbye, but there was still something disconcerting in Draco Malfoy lying against your chest and playing with your hair. In fact if Blaise was not completely certain that Draco's intentions were nothing more than a little brotherly he may have been somewhat worried about the intention of the blonde's affections. Blaise on the other hand batted very much for the straight team. He knew he was okay looking of course, and the attention he got from girls showed that perhaps he was a good catch, in fact Draco had recently told him he was of the dark and brooding variety (which apparently rendered all completely helpless to his charms) and persuaded him to use these charms on a giggly young Hufflepuff who seemed determined to get in his trousers. Of course, the immediate gratification was pleasant but it had left Blaise feeling rather empty inside. He needed someone with substance, a girl who was a challenge as opposed a dead cert. Someone who would give him a run for his money. His ponderings on his perfect woman were interrupted as Malfoy strolled out of the bathroom clad only in a towel. Blaise watched him closely as he strolled across the room and over the mirror on his windowsill. Evidently Draco had seen his intense gazes.

"Zabini your really not my type darling" he drawled as he watched Blaise from the reflection in the mirror.

Blaise feigned a swoon.

"Oh how my young and fragile heart has been wounded…" before turning back his homework and talking more seriously.

"So how do you feel about…"

"Don't start that psycho babble shit on me Blaise…" he said looking more tired than Blaise has ever seen him.

"Drake, I know your dealing with a lot of shit right now and I am quite aware that that little tift with Potter didn't help allay any of it…"

"I don't have time to give a damn what Potter thinks of me Blaise…its just…"

"Its just you can't get him out your head."

Draco looked from the mirror to Blaise, his eyes not completely focused on what was in front of him, as if he was searching for something.

"I just don't know why"

"I could give you a few hints Drake…" said Theo as he came through the bedroom door.

"Sure Theodooore" he mock drawled, "do enlighten me with your wisdom"

"You Draco Malfoy have a little crush"

Malfoy quickly scoffed and turned back to the mirror preening his hair into the perfect position.

"Hardly, Nott, in case it has somehow escaped your notice me and Potter are mortal enemies. One does not gain crushes on ones enemies."

"One does not want to gain crushes on ones enemies" Theo said in mock posh voice as Blaise snorted into his last Arithmacy problem.

"I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON POTTER"

They both continued to snort, which soon turned into a fit of giggles that left both rolling around on Blaise's bed in a rather unmanly fashion.

"I don't know what you imbeciles are giggling at. There is absolutely no way on earth I have a crush on…..urghhh!" He began stomping his feet and threw himself sulkily on the bed where he folded his arms across his chest and stared determinately at the ceiling until they had both calmed down.

Blaise lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow in Theo's direction, who rolled his eyes and got up, followed by Blaise, as they plopped down next to Draco on his bed. Without the boy in question reverting his gaze from the crack in the ceiling.

"Little Dragon we're sorry…" cooed Blaise in his best Pansy impression.

"Don't you Little Dragon me Zabini, I am absolutely not talking to either one of you…"

"You just did mate" smirked Theo from Draco's other side.

Draco growled in frustration

"I'm just having a very stressful week…" he started.

"That time of the month huh?" Theo asked only to receive a heavy blow from one of Draco's goose feathered pillows.

"More like sexually frustrated…." Draco commented staring back at the ceiling.

"So go and relieve yourself with one of your little boys before you explode on us Drake I'm sure that Macmillan tart would be happy to give you a helping hand…" Theo commented with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

"I don't feel like it, I'm sick of shagging tarts…"

"No!" exclaimed Theo in mock shock, "I do believe the insatiable Draco Malfoy wants a deep and meaningful affair. The question is…who with?" he said wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, making Draco roll his eyes.

"Who said deep and meaningful? I just want someone worth shagging"

"Like For instance one boy who liv…."

Theo was rewarded with another smack over the head.

"No I mean I suppose it would do wonders for my reputation but really, Nott, do you think I would sink that low?"

"Ah come on Drake" Blaise said "Not that I swing that way but you have to admit…Potter's kind of hot."

Theo nodded in agreement.

"Well quidditch hasn't done him any harm I suppose…I mean, what, no! Your putting thoughts in my head Zabini! Thoughts which don't need to be there. My dreams are unpleasant enough as it is" he sniffed.

"Whatever you say Drake…" He said hopping off the bed and back to his work.

"Blaise its two o clock in the morning and your still doing that stuff?"

"This stuff, Drake, is going to help my future. Something you might want to start to think about."

"No Blaise, that stuff is just another attempt to get ahead in this stupid little competition."

"What competition? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I mean B" he said reverting to his little pet name, obviously he no longer held a grudge for the Potter thing. "You have been working your arse off, started answering questions in class…"

"I always knew the answers.." he started.

"I know, but you never felt the need to parade your abilities in front of the entire class trying to beat that Granger."

"I am not trying to beat Gra…"

"Yeah yeah B, don't even try to tell me that it doesn't get your goat that she beats you in almost everything, no matter how hard you work…"

"That's what I'm trying to put right, I deserve…" he started, his temper getting the better of him at the thought of her.

"Aha so I was right!"

"So what if you were, you used to spend your life calling her a know it all…."

"You never did though did you Blaise?" Theo said, sat cross legged on his bed, with a glint in his eyes.

Damn him, thought Blaise, he always had the most annoying abilities in inference.

"I don't see what that has to do with it. I am still just getting the recognition I deserve…" he sniffed.

"You sure your not trying to _impress_ anyone Blaise?" he said, scratching his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"Who would he be trying to impress…" Draco's face suddenly twisted in confusion, followed in quick succession by a look halfway between shock and the expression Sir Isaac Newton must have had when that apple fell on his head.

"You, You…you don't?" he said accusingly.

"I don't what Draco?" he said coldly, putting up that infamous Slytherin mask.

"You fancy, oh my god, you fancy Granger!" He said with the most comic enthusiasm, jumping off his bed and shaking his outstretched finger at him ardently.

"He fancies Granger!" he shouted turning his wide eyed, clown like expression at Theo, who was still sitting patiently cross legged on the bed.

Theo raised one eyebrow at Draco. "Your point?" he drawled.

Obviously Theo had been suspecting this for quite some time, Blaise thought, damn it guess it was time to come clean.

"But Granger Blaise, Granger? Man are you in your right mind. I bet it was a love potion, she could do that right? Yeah a love potion…" he murmured to himself.

"Your in denial Drake, you know Granger's stance on the moral high ground is too strong to even let her consider anything that sneaky." Theo said as Blaise began to bang his head firmly against his Arithmacy text before giving up and dropping his head face down in his pillow.

"But she's a know it all…"

"Incredibly intelligent" came Blaise's muffled voice through his pillow.

"She is a Gryffindor.."

"Brave and Loyal"

"She is muggleborn"

"Who cares?

"She is Potters friend!"

"Its not Potter I want"

"She has buck teeth."

"Got them fixed in fourth year."

"She has a dead cat for hair"

"Its wild and sexy and…"

"Oh Merlin Zabini, you did not just describe Granger as…sexy?"

"Look just give it up Drake" Blaise said, removing his very reddened face from the pillow, "it won't work, believe me I have tried, I just cant help it. I Blaise Antonio Dominic Zabini fancy Hermione Granger." He said rather like a lost, pathetic, (but devastatingly handsome), puppy.

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Why on earth must I do this to myself every time, she thought, as she sat with Neville and Dean in the quidditch stands trying very hard to immerse herself in her book. To Kill a Mockingbird had always been one of her favourites yet the screaming and yells from Ginny, Harry, Ron, the Twins and Seamus above were seriously injuring her concentration. Neville, she saw, was watching with avid fascination and Dean, who had always been able to switch out, was engrossed in his drawing of what seemed to be a camel. Strange boy.

Still she thought, as she looked to the sky above to see the boy in question swerve Fred's bludger with immaculate grace, it was nice to see Harry not deep in thought about the other night for once. Though they hadn't actually spoke in depth about Malfoy's strange behaviour, Hermione was quite aware of what Harry was thinking, it came hand in hand with being around the golden boy twenty four seven. He was caught, she assumed, between wanting Malfoy to be good, and feeling guilty for wanting to throw away all the years of torment which Malfoy had given him and his friends. It was rather a dilemma, she thought, especially when Malfoy's words had been ambiguous to begin with. I mean, why should they even believe that he was different from the curse uttering, cane wielding, hair straightening maniac that was Lucius Malfoy. It could be a ploy, or alternatively they could have just misunderstood Malfoy completely. Then again, and considering Hermione's previous record for being right ALL the time, they could be correct in their brief little psycho analysis of Draco Malfoy as a the scared son of a death eater, who was, as they all were, human after all. She was rather tired of thinking about Malfoy though, and besides, thinking of the blonde always led her right back to her competitor. She felt a little shiver go up her spine at the thought of him and then proceeded to smack herself in the face with her book, gaining an odd look from the boys as she went. Never mind, they think I'm crazy anyway, she thought, the Gryffindor boys having gotten used to her neurotic mood swings quite some time ago. But she really had to stop going all weak kneed when she thought about her competitor though. It was ever since the night of the tower incident.

Though Hermione would deny it vehemently to any one who suggested it, she was rather attracted to Blaise Zabini. Of course he was rather good looking, he had the dark and broody look down to a tee, and any girl would have to not be in their right mind to feel nothing when around him. At least that is what she told herself. It made her feel rather better about herself, knowing she was not simply being a Ginny or Lavender about the whole thing. Good looking she could deal with, it wouldn't change anything. They would still compete, even if he completely ignored it, and she would not fall all over her words every time she came into contact with him. I mean for Christ sake, she was getting as bad as Harry, fancying a Slytherin, maybe even an Evil Slytherin? Still, she couldn't help but think, it would be rather nice to be around him….NO! she slammed her head on the book again, gaining more odd looks from Neville. This was not Hermione Granger speaking. She was a model student, bookworm extraordinaire, voice of reason, with very, very, bad hair. And damn it if she wasn't good at it. Granted, perhaps she felt a little tug of the green eyed monster when she saw Ginny getting ready for one of her many (many!) dates, but she always put that down to the evil full length mirror which tried to take possession of her right mind every time she stood in front of it.

"Hey earth to Hermione, earth to Hermione" she heard from her left side, as she turned to find Ron waving his hands around like a circus trained baboon.

"Yes Ronald?" she said in her best 'why on earth are you interrupting my precious thoughts to prance around like a monkey for a banana' voice.

"You zoned out Mione, we're ready to go in now if you're coming."

"If we're going in" she said as she stood up and dusted off her grey school skirt, "then you are going to sit down and finish your potions essay while I watch over you like a McGonagall shaped hawk."

"Awww Mione, do we have too."

"Yes Ron, you, have too." She said before relenting her stern attitude and playfully punching him on the shoulder. She could never stay angry for long at Ron, or Harry, they were like her brothers. Whoever had betted money on her and Ron becoming a couple was psychologically deranged. It would feel rather like dating her little, and very annoying, brother.

"Hey Harry, Queen Mione here is going to make us finish our essays." Ron told Harry as they pushed their way through the entrance door.

"No Ron she is going to make you do it." Harry said as Ron pouted.

"But you have too…"

"No Harry does not have to Ron, Harry completed his last night." Hermione said hiding her grin, and replacing it with a curt nod of congratulations in Harry's direction. Harry just laughed and mock bowed before Hermione.

"Wow Granger who would have thought, King Potter even bows before dirt." Came the shrill voice of Pansy Parkinson as they entered the entrance hall.

"Shut your pug face Parkinson" Ron snarled "you wouldn't even be good enough to bow before her".

"Like I would bow before a stupid, ugly little mudblood, she'll get what's coming to her in the end" Pansy said as she turned toward Hermione who was just about reach for her wand, just in case, when a voice boomed across the hall.

"30 points from Slytherin and two detentions with Filch Parkinson." Zabini said as he strolled calmly over to the little group.

"What? How can you…?" Parkinson started to shake with annoyance.

"Because, I, Parkinson, am a prefect, and you not only used inappropriate language against Miss Granger but I also believe I heard a distinct hint of a threat towards her own personal safety." Zabini said coolly.

"I knew you were a traitor Zabini but I would never think you would have sunk so low, you don't even deserve the Slytherin name."

"Above all, a Slytherin is polite and civil in public Parkinson, so I will thank you not to question my ability to live up to its name."

Hermione was rather bewildered at the argument that was playing out in front of her. For starters, did Zabini just defend her? And did Parkinson just call Zabini a traitor? Another person stepping in to the fray did not help to end her uncertainty.

"What's going on Blaise?" drawled Malfoy as he strode up to them with Nott at his back.

"I'm just reminding Parkinson of the need to respect all Prefects even if they are Gryffindors." Blaise said without taking his eyes off Parkinson, who in turn seemed to be trying to murder him with her own.

Malfoy cast a scrupulous glance between Zabini and Hermione as a look of understanding lit his grey eyes. Hermione was quite sure that he was going to go against Zabini's judgement when Parkinson spoke again.

"What does it have to do with you anyway Malfoy, you're no better than Zabini, a shame to your family name."

"Thank you for your wonderful insight Parkinson, but I will not take shit off some slut bag like you and you would do well to remember that." His eyes were alight with anger, and Hermione realised she had never quite seem him so furious, he always seemed to be running away from one conflict or the other. Her eyes turned to Harry and she saw that look sparkling in his green eyes.

"Look, thank you very much for your support Zabini, but let us not make this into some fight that it needn't be?"

Zabini turned to look at her, and she felt that same shiver vibrate through her spine. His eyes were boring through, and she was scared he could feel her attraction, so lowered her eyes to the floor. When she looked back up again it was to see Zabini put his hand on Malfoy's back, trying to lead him away. Unfortunately Malfoy didn't seem to notice, as his eyes were locked, for the second time in a few days, with Harry's as they seemed to have a staring competition. She couldn't read the look in Malfoy's, but unfortunately for Harry, he was not great at keeping his emotions under wraps. He looked caught between Punching Malfoy for his defiant look and ravaging him in the middle of hall. Before she could gain Harry's attention to stop him from embarrassing himself, he had raised his hand towards Malfoy, his palm outstretched to the blonde boy. If Hermione had looked surprised it was nothing to the look on Malfoy's face. Then as Hermione had just realised what Harry was doing, Malfoy raised his hand and clasped it in Harry's for the quickest handshake she had ever seen in her life. Their hands dropped back to their sides quickly, and Malfoy gave a curt nod at Harry, which was returned as Malfoy turned and strolled out of the entrance hall.

If someone was to walk in to the entrance hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at that precise moment, they would have wondered if world war three had just been announced. Their before the doors stood a small group of students, some in green, and some in red, with their jaws nearly meeting the floor.

Apart from three.

One young lady was looking straight ahead at a closed door with a thoughtful gaze in her eye, as one tall young man held what could only be considered as a knowing smirk on his lips as he stared at the other boy in question.

This last young man could easily have been in a world of his own as he stared down as his left hand as through it contained all the answers to all the questions he had never dared to ask.

Change, ladies and gentlemen, was in the air.

R/R.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, finally another chapter! It took a while, so please make it worth my while and review! I do love them so!

Thanks as well everyone for their reviews on chapter two, especially **_vagrantben_** who is quickly becoming my favourite reviewer (thank you!) Unless of course you want to try beat them to it (hint hint!).

Don't own anything but my sanity.

A rather bizarre sort of atmosphere had descended upon the Gryffindor tower that night as those named as the golden trio sat in front of the fire. Hermione was pretending, though not very productively, to be engrossed in her latest read as Ron struggled to concentrate on his Potions essay as he lounged in front of the roaring fire, who's flames danced relentlessly around the dim common room, doing nothing to lift the strange atmosphere that surrounded them.

Harry had given up on even pretending to engage himself in a productive means of activity as he stared into the flames, his green eyes bright with an emotion neither of his friends could place. After the strange incident that had took place that very afternoon, Hermione was sure Harry was in for a barrage of questions from a certain brash red head who seemed, at that moment in time, to have forgot it ever happened. She herself was rather unsure what to say, and despite her mind reeling on account of that very incident, it seemed more engaged with the stares she kept receiving from a certain blue eyed Slytherin. She was never sure quite what was behind those stares, and to be honest, she found it rather disconcerting. She normally found it so very easy to read people. I mean of course, it was not all that difficult to read Ron, and Harry's thoughts and feelings were normally evident after some of her famous psycho-analysis. Merlin, even Malfoy, bearer of the face of great big stoney-ness, was easy enough to read the majority of the time. But the blue eyed Slytherin, who had caused her nerve to be strained rather beyond its comfort level all year, was quite the mystery. She had no idea of his intentions toward her, be it evil or good. And for that matter, whether he even had any at all!

"That's it, I've had it, some one needs to tell me what the bloody hell is going on this place before I explode like a bloody Fizzing bloody whizbee, got it?"

Hermione looked up from the book she had been pretending to read at the red head who was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet looking between the both of them like a psychotic ape wearing a carrot coloured toupee. She stole a glance toward Harry, who like her, had been startled out of his reverie and was now was looking toward Ron as though he was some sort of creature from the deepest depths of outer space. Neither of them spoke, possibly, Hermione thought, for fear of Ron actually exploding as promised.

"Well?" he demanded, eyes nearly popping out of his freckled face. "Are you two just going to sit there with all your top secret information and crazy ununderstandable knowledgy stuff and not tell me?" he ranted, turning to Harry.

"You shook Malfoy's hand Harry, shook his hand! The same slimy ferret that gave us hell for the last six years! Draco Malfoy Harry. Draco evil sneaky soon to be deatheater, bleacher of hair and wearer of incessant green and black Malfoy!"

"I think Harry is quite aware of who Malfoy is Ron…"

"Oh no no no! Miss I know stuff and don't tell Ron person! Don't side with him. We're the trio remember, tree-o! Ron needs to know the scoop too you know!"

"Ron, when did you start referring to yourself in third person?"

"And no trying to throw me off the subject with a clever little change of topic Mr I like to shake my arch enemy's hand!"

"Ron, breathe, nice and slow!"

"Don't tell me to breathe woman!"

"Harry…" Hermione started with a pleading look in the boys' direction.

"I know I know" he said pushing a hand back through his messy wreck of hair. "I need to explain…"

"Finally!" Ron said sitting down on a chintzy armchair by the fire, clasping his hands together, and setting his eyes on Harry as though he was about to be told the meaning of life.

"I shook hands with Malfoy, because, well, because I…"

"Spit it out man!"

"Because I think it's about time we tried our hands at a little bit of inter house relations…" he stated rather meekly.

"Interhouse relations? And the first person you choose to make friendly with is Malfoy…"

"Well…" Harry looked pleadingly at Hermione, who was clearly going to have to rectify the situation for the helpless boy.

"Harry thought that maybe trying to resolve things with Malfoy would set a good example to the rest of the school, what with their feud being so famous and all."

Harry nodded excitably in agreement, glad to have found a way out of telling Ron he was lusting after the blonde Slytherin.

"But Malfoy's a death eater Harry!"

"Actually Ron, I don't think he is" said a hesitant voice from the stairwell leading to the boys dormitories.

"Neville, what the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Yeah Neville…" said a shocked Harry as he turned round eagerly. Hermione had a feeling that Harry was simply about to agree and back down to Ron, unable to find any evidence that would suggest Malfoy was otherwise.

Neville wandered hesitantly over to the trio, and sat himself down on a chair beside Hermione.

"Well, you see, I heard Gran talking to one of her friends before we came back after summer, and she mentioned something about Malfoy always being a Malfoy."

Hermione grimaced inwardly at the use of the saying she had just appeased herself with only a day before.

"Yeah exactly!" said a triumphant Ron.

"No, no that's not what I'm trying to tell you. You see at dinner that night I asked Gran what she meant, and she explained to me that Malfoy and a couple of his cronies had gone to Dumbledore for help, saying they wanted to switch sides in the War, and that Dumbledore had agreed to help them."

"What?" cried an infuriated Ron as Harry and Hermione sat there shocked in contemplative silence. "And he believed him? What's he playing at? He's probably just spying for his dad."

"Ron, Professor Dumbledore will have his reasons for trusting him, even if he has not shared them with you!" admonished Hermione, though she was having serious doubts herself. These doubts must have been evident on her face, as Ron continued with his Tirade.

"Could you believe him though? I mean what has he ever done to show he is anything other than a bigoted little death eater who worships the ground his dad walks on…."

"Actually Ron, that's apparently why he switched." Said Neville, though he shrunk back a little as Ron's furious gaze reverted to him. "Looks like his Dad wasn't so fond of him after all after he found out he was Gay…"

"Gay, Malfoy's Gay?"

"Yeah" muttered Harry, "found out a couple of days ago…"

"What? I mean, for Merlin's sake, I know the boy is obsessed with his hair, and has an annoyingly good dress sense but…oh god he's gay!"

"I'm glad you finally jumped the thought train Ronald" stated Hermione.

"I can't believe it" Harry said, obviously still shocked, "are you sure Nev?"

"Well I don't have it written down and signed but that's what Gran says anyway, though I think she doesn't quite want to believe it."

There was a stunned and contemplative silence, before Ron broke in, allowing himself a small grin.

"Crikey mate, who would have guessed it? Maybe you and Ferret can get it together now….." Ron joked with a little chuckle.

He didn't catch the look that passed between his two best friends.

Unfortunately Neville did.

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If, only a year ago, someone had suggested that, he, Blaise Antonio Dominic Zabini, would be lying on a couch with Draco Malfoy snuggled, yes ladies and gentlemen 'snuggled' was the only word for it, into his chest he would have laughed out loud and prescribed a long course of therapy. Yet here they were.

Theo was sat on his bed smirking at the blonde boy who was cuddling his best mate and staring obliviously at the hand that had recently been shook by one Hero of the Wizarding World.

"I take it, Drake, that that hand will never again see the hygienic instrument of choice that we so fondly call soap." Theo stated lazily.

Draco looked up from his musings, shocked to find actual people in his actual room. Never mind lying underneath him.

"I don't know what you're talking about Nott, and I think you'll find that people such as myself do not use such common bathing products" he sniffed, avoiding the question.

"Yes Drake, we know that your 'apple and cinnamon scented skin smoothing bathing cream for girls who want to feel smooth as silk' should never be thought of as soap" Blaise said with a not so secret eye roll in Theo's general direction.

"It's not for girls Zabini, just because I want to feel good, doesn't mean I'm some sort of giggling girlie…girl."

"No, it means you're a trumped up, all glittering, all sparkling poof" Theo added, right before Malfoy jumped up and threw one of his highly expensive duck down pillows at him.

"Pillow fights Draco? Are you trying to dispel my comments or encourage them…?"

Blaise ended up holding his stomach as he rolled round on the bed in a fit of giggles.

"Urrrgghhhh idiots." Draco muttered at his hysterical friends, picking up a towel and some expensive looking shampoo and conditioner. "I'm going to take a bath."

"Going to contemplate your little handshake with Potter while in more private surroundings" Theo suggested wiggling his eyebrows.

"I…do….NOT…fancy...Harry…sodding…Potter, got it?"

"Oh yeah we get it Draco" Blaise mirrored Theo's eye brow wiggle, before they collapsed in a renewed fit of giggles.

Draco turned to storm into the bathroom, but Blaise quickly jumped up between him and the door.

"Look sorry mate, were only playing, you know. I guess we just don't get why you shook hands with your self professed worst enemy."

"Yeah Drake, seriously, I would kind of like to know myself." Theo added from the bed, apparently recovered from his giggling fit.

"I…I don't know, ok? We were just there, and we were all against Pansy and he held out his hand and I just…I just…" Draco groaned and collapsed beside Theo.

A slightly more serious look passed between the two friends.

"Look it doesn't matter, I guess it's not so bad that you and Potter are going to be friends…"Blaise started.

"Friends?" asked Draco scandalised, "who said anything about friends? I was simply being the higher minded civil being that I am!"

"What's the point in having a truce if we can't…" started Blaise.

"We can't what? Seduce certain bushy haired Gryffindor's?" Theo interrupted, leaving Draco sniggering.

'Oh yeah', thought Blaise, 'way to turn it back on yourself Zabini.'

"Yeah Zabini just cause you want to get jiggy with Granger"

"Get Jiggy? Jiggy? Malfoy, you sound like my father trying to be 'hip'."

"Don't even try to turn this around Zabini, I want to know your POA."

"My POA?"

"Yeah POA, plan of action."

"Okay Drake, not all of us look at seduction with such military precision, and besides when did you even begin to condone this…thingy…I mean none thingy…I mean its not…anyth….urgh, I give up!" Blaise tried to get out, losing all his usual eloquence.

"Your all mopey and broody, even more so than usual, and its boring me" Draco sniffed, "And well, how do you expect to get anywhere Zabini if you're all mouth and no trousers?"

"I don't expect to get anywhere that's the point."

"Why not B, your smart, loaded and you look good. Though not as smart, loaded and good looking as myself I admit. But it's not like I'm trying to get into Granger's knickers so you have no real competition…" he said with a slightly disgusted look on his face.

Though Blaise prickled on the inside at the thought of anyone trying to get into her knickers, so to speak, but him, 'ahhh protective already' he thought, he tried to explain his point to Draco.

"Granger has morals though Draco, I would prefer to get to know her you know, before jumping into her bed. It wouldn't matter if I was the most good looking, loaded and smart person in the world, Granger probably wouldn't give me the time of day. I'm a Slytherin, the person who has made her life a living hell for the past 5 years is one of my only mates and I'm not some crazy die for the cause Gryffindor like Potter or Weasley" Blaise finished looking decidedly sorry for himself, and running his hands through his dark curls in frustration.

Theo jumped up off his bed and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"And I don't think a strip tease is going to change anything Theo…" Blaise said with a half smile.

"Hey! Let the boy finish" Draco mock leered at Theo's skinny frame.

It was returned with a glare from Theo, which just as quickly fell off his face as he turned back to Blaise, now throwing a Chudley Cannons T shirt over his head.

"You know last time I checked B, Potter was Gay and Granger preferred to scream bloody murder and Weasley as oppose to go all damsel in distress about his err….Heroics" Theo defined his last word with exaggerated quotation fingers.

"Granger wouldn't go for Potter anyway…" Draco added, though he seemed to be trying to convince himself rather than Blaise. The two boys shared another glance at the blonde's antics.

"Yeah well there are plenty other Gryffindor's…" Blaise muttered pulling the knot loose on his tie and throwing it over his bed post.

"That's not what I'm trying to say, I meant that Granger's just too smart to go crazy over the prince on the white horse type you know what I mean?"

Draco snorted, earning a glare from Blaise.

"You know she's smart, after all, you've been trying to beat her in everything all year and mostly all you've earned is a bad case of sleep deprivation."

"So what, I stop challenging her and try to be nice." Blaise said disbelievingly.

"Who said anything about stopping?" Theo said with a decidedly sneaky glint in his eye.

"What the hell are you on about Theo?" Draco said, obviously confused, though Blaise thought that maybe he was starting to see Theo's point.

"Maybe" said Theo, as he pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. "You should just be a little more obvious about it."

The two boys shared a knowing smirk as poor Draco simply looked between his dark haired friends like they had just grown extra heads.

"I don't get it!"

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It was around 6am when Hermione's alarm clock went off, but she found herself lying already awake in bed. This was not unusual. Hermione was definitely a morning person. 'The early bird catches the worm' her mother always used to say. Her body always woke her up around 10 minutes before her alarm went off. She was not annoyed by this, it gave her time to be fully alert when she dressed for school, looked over her timetable for the day ahead and checked over her homework from the night before. So, now fully alert, she jumped out of bed, and quietly collected her shower things. Lavender and Parvati, you see, were not morning people and she imagined that if she so much as breathed to loudly they were likely to fling a bottle of nail varnish at her head. They called it their beauty sleep. Merlin, she thought, leave it up to them to beautify even in their sleep.

Hermione went through her normal routine of a shower and a quick hair drying spell. The next three minutes were dedicated to the highly stressful task of getting a comb through her hair, which coincidently decided to look like a bird's nest this morning, making her resort to tying it in messy bun at the back of her head. Then came her only vice. An aunt had included it in the customary Christmas gift basket she had received every year since she was 10. It was a mocha coffee perfumed body lotion that she absolutely adored. Now, she could never stand the taste of coffee, but the smell had always been a favourite. It was her morning routine to cover herself with the stuff. It made her feel like she was, after all, a girl, even if no one else noticed. It wasn't a terribly noticeable smell when she put her clothes on, and no one had ever commented on it, but it was enough that she could smell it lingering around herself when she sat in class. After pulling on her uniform and robes she headed down to the common room where she expected Harry and Ron to turn up 10 minutes late, giving her extra time to check over her potions essay.

Breakfast had been its usual mostly silent meal. Her boys never quite could find it in themselves to so much as utter a coherent word before midday. Oh well they had two hours of charms to contend with, Hermione thought, satisfied that she was fully prepared for the lesson.

Unfortunately, and let it be said _unusually_, for her, she was oh so very wrong!

Hermione took her usual seat at the left of Harry in the middle of the classroom, Ron occupying his right. Nearly all the Gryffindor's were present, and she collected her homework and books, quills and parchment, from her bag and readied herself for the intellectual journey ahead. She was just in the middle of straightening her blank parchment when the last three Slytherin's sauntered in at the last possible minute as per usual. Malfoy was in the lead as usual, Nott taking his left, and finally Blaise 'bane of her existence' Zabini sitting right across the row from her on his right. This was not unusual, though it managed to infuriate her even more to have him so close. What was unusual; however, was the fleeting wink he had just sent her way before turning to convene with Malfoy. I mean granted, there had been the little staring contests during their last two encounters, but surely that was to be expected, it was Slytherin versus Gryffindor after all. Though never in any of their little competitions had he actually openly acknowledged she was actually there! In fact it now had her in quite a fluster. Has she imagined the wink? No she was fairly certain it had happened. She looked to Harry to see if he had seen, but he was lost in shooting half glances at Malfoy between indulging Ron in a sleepy grunt –like conversation about the Hufflepuff Chasers. She decided to try to forget the wink in order to concentrate on the lesson ahead, ignoring the shivers it had sent up her spine along the way.

"Okay class! Today we are going to be looking at the in's and out's of casting charms without any audible incantation. The how, and more importantly the why!" The tiny professor squeaked, standing on top of a chair in order to maintain eye contact with his class.

Hermione fidgeted in her chair, forgetting all about Zabini, this she could do!

"Okay, now first of all, why is soundless spell casting so important?"

Hermione straightened her back and raised her hand to the air, the answer already starting to form on her lips before she was interrupted by Professor Flitwick.

"Yes, Mr Zabini?"

Well, it was safe to say Hermione Granger was downright outraged, she had been beaten again. She looked to her left in furious indignation as he lazily began to answer.

"Besides being quicker and less tedious, when one is in a battle situation, an opponent will find it harder to distinguish which spell is being used against him and thus it will be almost impossible to block." He drawled, leaning back in his chair, his tousled dark curls falling into his eyes.

He looked completely unruffled as usual, but when Professor Flitwick finished awarding him house points and turned away, he turned his head and looked her straight in the eye, a satisfied smirk forming on his lips.

Hermione's look of indignation magnified as he just as quickly turned back to the front of the classroom, without loosing his smirk. Hermione narrowed her eyes and then turned to her parchment. She could feel Harry's gaze but didn't look up.

'Well' she thought 'at least he's not ignoring me anymore'

Though, that particular thought did nothing to calm her down.

"How dare he!" she muttered to herself, before hitting on a rather brilliant idea.

Before the Professor could move to ask another question, she again raised her hand in the air.

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"I think, sir, that Mr Zabini here may have exaggerated a little in his answer." She said before shooting a glance at Zabini, who she was pleased to see, had lost all his previous calm and was now looking at her in unrestrained surprise.

"Go on Miss Granger."

"Well, you see, he did not take into account wand motions sir! Take for example a levitation charm sir. It has incredibly distinctive wand movements and would be quite obvious to even your Wizard or Witch of average capabilities on a battlefield, therefore one must consider that while soundless spell may be useful, it's use in a battle situation must not be taken for granted." She said in her best know it all voice, giving the professor a sickly sweet smile which she then turned on Zabini.

"Well…er…yes, quite right Miss Granger, 10 points to Gryffindor!" said a rather stunned Professor Flitwick, though Hermione did not hear him.

When she had turned her triumphant smile on Zabini expecting a look of surprise or outrage, she had been shocked to find no such thing. Instead she had found Zabini smiling unrestrainedly right at her. Not a smirk, a real, genuine, smile. His eyes contained no anger, only amusement, and what looked disturbingly like outright wonder.

Her own triumphant smile quickly slid off her face, and for some strange reason she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She turned back to the front of the classroom in a total fluster, though she was sure she could still feel his gaze on her back.

'Oh dear' she thought 'that wasn't how it was supposed to go'

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Blaise found himself still staring at the back of her head, a smile still playing on his lips even after Flitwick had begun a boring lecture about the history of casting without incantation. He could not believe it. Not only had she challenged him back, in what he thought was a completely fiery, sexy display of her intellect; she had blushed at his gaze.

Hermione Granger, ice queen of Hogwarts, had blushed. And he found it absolutely adorable. He could still see the tint of pink on the back of her neck, contrasting wonderfully with her golden curls that were shining at the very nape of it, having escaped from her bun.

'Well' he thought 'I'm definitely going to have to owe Theo one for this little idea.'

If anything it had made him all the more confident, so much more confident in fact, that when the bell rang to end the lesson, he found he was able to try and push his luck a little more.

Granger was just putting her immaculately written notes into her bag, obviously trying hard not to meet his gaze. He leaned down until his lips were nearly touching her ear, making her jump a little in her seat.

"Until next time, _Cara._" He whispered in his huskiest Italian tone, before straightening up and walking straight out the classroom, ignoring the stares he was receiving from both his friends and hers.

Today had been a good day for one Blaise Zabini. And to top it off, he could smell her lingering scent as he walked out the door.

Yes, Blaise Zabini loved the smell of coffee.

And even more than that, Blaise Zabini loved the taste of coffee.

And there was nothing he would rather taste more, than one Hermione Granger.

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Okay please, please, pretty please with bloody Blaise Zabini shaped cherry on top, review!


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone for reviewing I'm really glad you like it, you all get your Blaise Zabini shaped cherry, apart from **vagrantben **who gets his Hermione shaped cherry (sorry about that, and if you really feel like sacrificing something then I would lean toward the cookies, you would get the next chapter extra fast!).

Okay, here you all go, next chapter. Not a great deal of Blaise/Hermione interaction, but I don't want it moving to fast you know!

Again warnings of impending slash, even if it is not yet imposed, so be warned!

I own zilch of anything!

Hermione sat cross legged on table at the back of library, eyes searching the very small section on languages Hogwarts held. In actual fact, it amounted to two shelves, two very small shelves. So small in fact, that if one was to be searching for a simple dictionary on a popular language, say for example Italian, in theory, it would be rather simple to find what one was looking for.

Well, Hermione had tested that theory and come up disappointed. She could not find a simple Italian dictionary and phrase book in the entire library and was thoroughly annoyed! She had been in the library ever since she had managed to regain the use of her limbs and unglue herself from the chair in the charms classroom, where her best friends had been staring at her as if she had grown horns. Of course, it had still taken some time after she had regained the use of her body, for her mind to catch up.

At first, once she had gotten over the butterflies in her stomach, she had been entirely confused as to why Zabini had just called her Cara. The bemusement had thus turned into anger when she realised that this meant he could not even remember her name. The anger had not lasted very long and quickly gave way to embarrassment when she realised that he had, in fact, been speaking Italian.

Never one who was able to hide her emotions well, she imagined her face had looked not unlike one of a lunatic as she worked her way through Zabini's words.

'Well' she thought 'that would probably explain why Harry and Ron were staring like constipated moose…..'

"Urgh!" she seethed, "Damn it!"

She was missing Lunch for this! And she had heard a rumour the house elves were planning on their famous spaghetti. And Damn it, did she love spaghetti! This was all Zabini's fault, she thought, stupid Italian, with his stupid language and stupid accent which made her stomach go all fluttery. I mean fluttery; she was not in any way the fluttery type. Nope, Hermione Granger could not remember a single moment in life in which she had, even remotely, fluttered.

But she didn't get very far in her (well in her opinion) very insulting mental tirade on Zabini, when Harry ran into her line of vision. He didn't appear to have seen her at first, looking around wildly for what looked like an escape point. His tie was askew, his hair was even messier than usual and he was panting like he had just run a marathon.

When he finally set eyes on her he ran straight up and grabbed her shoulders, eyes still darting around uncontrollably.

"Harry, what is it, what happened" she rushed, her mind full of death eaters and mental pictures of the school under siege.

"Hermi…Seamus…trying to…. Get me" he pushed out, still out of breath.

"What do you mean Seamus is trying to get you?" she asked in complete bemusement.

But before Harry could get anything out, Seamus Finnegan came running round the corner with a distinctly evil glint in his eyes. Harry jumped away from Hermione and backed into one of the shelves, arms out in a defensive position.

"No…you….don't" he stuttered.

Hermione looked between the two boys still completely confused.

"Aw, c'mon Harry, whatdya say, eh? I know y'wanna…" said the Blonde Irish boy, advancing on Harry slowly.

Harry squeaked pathetically and jumped behind Hermione, who was struggling to keep her laughter in, finally understanding what on earth was going on.

Seamus Finnegan was a notorious flirt. More than that Seamus Finnegan was as gay as two pink canaries in leather trousers, and he had made a reputation for himself around the school as a bit of a playboy. It was rumoured that his conquests amounted to more than you could count on five people's fingers.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry's pathetic attempts to keep Seamus at bay.

She was quite sure he had nothing to worry about. Seamus, though quite forward, was nothing but a harmless fool with the sex drive of a gigantic rabbit. And since Harry had managed to fight off Voldemort on several occasions, the chances were that he could take on Seamus Finnegan. But no, Harry was still hiding behind her as Seamus drew closer wearing what he obviously thought was a charming smile, though it ended up making him look rather like a lecherous old pervert.

She smiled to herself, deciding to intervene before her poor Harry had a nervous breakdown. She drew out her wand and pointed in straight between the fair headed boy's eyes, feeling rather sorry for him even as she did it. It was enough to make Seamus stop in his tracks.

"Now Seamus, I think Harry has made it quite clear that your intentions are not welcome at this point in time and I think it is probably for the best if you leave him alone." She said in her best teacher tone.

Seamus looked between her and Harry obviously trying to work out whether one of Hermione's famous curses were price enough to pay to get into Harry's trousers.

Evidently the price was too high, as Seamus backed away but not before shooting a wink and a smile in Harry's direction.

"Just think about it Harry, we'd be good together y'know!" he said as he turned and left the two.

Hermione turned back to her still ruffled best friend, trying in vain to hide her grin.

"Now Harry, I want you to calm down, take a deep breath and tell me what happened." she said.

Harry proceeded to take a very deep breath and let it out slowly, his eyes still glassy, making her want to give in to her laughter.

"Harry…" she started to ask again.

"He…he…that…that boy! He…" Harry started, blowing himself up and looking completely bonkers, as though a threat had just been made to his life.

"He MANHANDLED me!" Harry stated dramatically in a very loud whisper.

Hermione gave up her act, clutching her stomach, giving in to her laughter.

"It…it's not funny Hermione! He practically jumped my bones on the third floor corridor! Right there, in the hallway." Harry was flaying his arms around to exaggerate his point, but only ended up making him self look more comical.

"Kept muttering to himself about being a better suitor for me, and that, that he would show me…me…things!"

Hermione found her self unable to answer due to being currently incapacitated on the library floor trying to fight the growing pain in her stomach, imagining Harry trying to fend off a randy Seamus Finnegan.

Finally she calmed down, mostly due to the death glare Harry was sending her way, and partly due to the fact that Hermione Granger was not the type of person for fits of unrestrained giggles.

"Well you know Seamus Harry, he's well, he's…."

"A crazy Irish bastard who likes to manhandle innocent victims in darkened corridors?"

"Harry" she admonished, at his use of language.

Her typical Hermione reaction though, did seem to put a grin back on the boys face.

"Now" she said, "what did you say again about all that suitor stuff Seamus was babbling about?"

"I don't know, he just kept mumbling on about he would be so much better for me, that we had more in common and stuff."

"Hmmm, better than whom for you I wonder?"

After about a moments thought, both friends looked at each other in shock.

"You don't think he…" Harry started.

"Knows about…?"

"He couldn't, please no, unless you….?"

"No I haven't, I wouldn't….." she said looking bewildered.

"But then how could he…"

"Unless someone overheard about…"

"Malfoy" Harry finished, looking rather lost.

"Potter, I know your obsessed and everything, but really, I thought we got passed this" drawled an amused voice from their right.

Hermione turned round to see a rather amused Draco Malfoy lounging against the foreign language section, glancing between both her and Harry.

"Malfoy…I…" Harry started, obviously at a loss for words, again.

"Potter, have you ever considered elocution lessons?" Malfoy said slowly, obviously finding the situation more amusing by the minute.

'He has a point' Hermione thought, 'Harry really is rather terrible at explaining himself, oh well, Hermione to the rescue again.'

"We were just discussing a little rumour Malfoy, a rumour that concerns you in fact…." Hermione stated meeting the Blonde's eyes.

"Oh really Granger?" he said, raising one brow at her.

She simply raised one back, nodding.

"And pray tell, what might that rumour be?" Malfoy started examining his perfectly clean fingernails for dirt.

"That a certain person and his friends have been disowned by their fathers and are currently under the protection of the headmaster." She said, causing him to look up sharply from his hands, fixing her with a steady gaze.

A tense moment passed before Malfoy replied, in which she could here Harry gasp beside her, holding his breath.

The corner of his mouth began to twitch just slightly.

"You know Granger, I never had you figured for the type to jump on the rumour bandwagon, really, you disappoint me." He stated, though for the first time, his grey eyes held no malice.

She narrowed her eyes at him as he took one last look at Harry and turned to leave.

"Though you know Granger" he said turning back, "I think you'll find Blaise has in no way been disowned by his family, a good job really, as I would find myself missing the long summers at his father's house terribly." He added before sauntering out of their section of the library.

She turned to Harry, who looked confused.

"Does that mean they're all still evil?" he asked scratching his head.

Hermione rolled her eyes and smacked him upside the head.

"Honestly Harry, when did you morph in to Ron? It means that yes, Malfoy and Nott have been disowned, and that the Zabini's were never death eaters in the first place." She said, reverting back to her teacher voice.

"Oh" Harry said, eloquence obviously failing him again, though an indignant look began to form on his face.

"How come he is the one that always gets to saunter out of here like some guy in a James Bond film?"

Hermione snorted in a very unladylike fashion as they got their things together, heading out of the Library.

"I mean seriously, why do I never get to be Mr Suave…?"

"Harry I really don't think you're the Suave type."

"Hey! I could be Suave." he said, doing his best impression of a 'Malfoy Saunter' out of the Library doors.

"Harry, you look like a constipated chicken"

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Blaise was sat at the end of the Slytherin table to avoid any trouble with his Slytherin peers, even though it was the end of lunch and the table was all but deserted. He was just finishing the last of his Spaghetti, which held no contest to his Grandmothers by the way, when he heard a bang near the entrance.

He looked up to see Draco and Theo sauntering toward the table, Draco looking rather like he'd just claimed the title of "King of the Universe". His head was held high, and Theo was looking coolly unperturbed as they headed his way.

'God' thought Blaise 'do we always look that arrogant?'

The answer, he knew, was of course yes.

But, hey! It worked for them.

"What's up with you?" he asked as Draco sat down to the left of him, quickly grabbing a bread roll, "Let me guess, you just found out that your father has kindly restored your impossibly large inheritance and you don't even have to mark your perfect skin with that unsightly black tattoo?"

Draco simply raised a brow in his direction and continued to eat his bread roll with a look on his face that suggested he knew something Blaise didn't.

Obviously, Blaise was not going to get anything out of Draco any time soon, so turned instead to Theo who had took the seat opposite him.

Theo rolled his eyes in Draco's direction muttering something that sounded rather like 'drama queen', which led to Draco vehemently denying being a queen of any sort, before going back to the bread roll he called Lunch.

"He" Theo said, nodding a head in Draco's direction, "seems to have had a little run in with Potter and Granger in the Library earlier"

Though his pulse quickened slightly at the mention of the bushy haired wonder, he thought he had better keep the conversation on track.

"Drake, tell me you didn't have another fight and undo everything all over again"

At this Draco looked up from his bread roll.

"Me? Fight with Potter? Do you really think me that uncivilised Blaise? We merely had a little discussion, of course, that was after I had listened a little into theirs." He said with a satisfied smirk.

"And?" Blaise said, just as the alarm sounded for their next lesson.

"That's for me to know and you to find out" Draco teased as he threw his bag over his shoulder and began to saunter back out the hall.

Blaise and Theo ran to catch up.

"Come on then, what about after that, what did you and Potter talk about" Theo pushed.

"Well, to be honest, it was more Granger that I conversed with."

Again Blaise felt a little jolt in his stomach.

"What's a matter B? Jealous? Thinking that maybe your little display in charms wasn't enough to capture Grangers attention." He smirked.

"No, what? I, just…well, what did you talk about anyway." Blaise eventually ground out, stopping with Draco in the middle of the hallway.

"Oh you know" Draco said flippantly with a casual wave of his hand, "Rumours, death eater fathers, how lovely the Zabini mansion is in the summer…"

With that he continued to strut down the hall, leaving a very confused Blaise Zabini in his wake.

"Malfoy, so help me Merlin, get your skinny arse back here…."

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It was a flustered Blaise who made his way into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, following a still sauntering Malfoy to his seat. He had managed to get a basic outline of the exchange he had with Granger, but the blonde was still keeping completely quiet about whatever he had found out while listening to Potter's conversation.

Draco's eyes were still alive with whatever he secret he now held and that soft smirk of his never made its way off his lips. This was perhaps the most annoying thing about Malfoy; he always maintained his composure whatever the situation. While Blaise was to some extent very good at it, he was, in the end, far too easily stirred up. He supposed it was the Italian blood in him or something, and the fact that he had managed to take the seat right behind Granger was certainly not helping.

Though, granted, his little display earlier was rather dramatic, it certainly wasn't embarrassment he was feeling.

No it was something else.

Something that seemed to be reserved entirely for Granger. Well, Hermione.

He supposed he should at least begin to call her by her given name in his head. After all, she tended to dominate his thoughts far much more than he would like these days. He supposed it was the challenge that she posed that really made him crazy. It was of course that which had first drawn him to her. She was his intellectual equal, if not his superior, and Blaise simply wasn't used to that. It was also the way she never backed down from a challenge. The fire in her brown eyes when she stared at him in class. He could always feel her willing him to look up at her with those eyes. You could literally feel the tension pouring off her. She was so very easy to read, and never tried to hold her emotions back.

Now many people, mainly the boys of Hogwarts, would consider Granger passionless bookworm with a one track mind. But this was where they were missing out. Granger was one of the single most passionate people Blaise had ever met. Granted, that passion was not usually directed toward the opposite sex, but Blaise had a feeling that if it was it would be something to behold.

Perhaps she was not the most conventionally beautiful girl in the world; she bothered little with potions and creams to make her self up. But her face was perfect to Blaise. It was clear and creamy, unblemished by any useless sunbathing, with a slight pink tint to her cheeks that always made her look like she had just returned home on a windy day. Her features were quite small, and if anything made her look slightly younger than her age. But any such thought would be diminished the moment you looked into her eyes, which held a wisdom and fire which were beyond her years. He supposed her wild mane of hair was an acquired taste, but it was his taste, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It suited her.

She hadn't noticed him yet, though he had at least got out of Theo that Draco had found her and Potter in the foreign languages section of the Library. He allowed himself an inward laugh at that. She never could stand not knowing something, however small and insignificant.

Her attention was turned toward Potter at the moment, who was looking down at his desk, shaking his head. He was certainly not his usual calm and collected self, and Blaise was sure it had something to do with whatever Draco had found out about Potter over Lunch. Sure enough, when he turned toward Draco, he found him looking directly at the back of Potters neck, a small smile on his lips and a sparkle in his normally stormy eyes.

Blaise knew that look, and it was never a good omen.

Draco Malfoy was up to something.

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Defence against the Dark Arts had passed without much drama. The werewolf, Remus Lupin, was back to teach the class, and it was certainly not something Blaise was complaining about. He rather liked the man, after all he was the only teacher worth his weight in salt that they had ever had during their years at Hogwarts. Hermione's attention was focused between taking furious notes and what looked pitying glances toward her famous friend. Though, he did manage to get in a sly wink in her direction when she passed him on her way out of the classroom. He pleased to see that same blush creep up the back of her neck.

All in all it was a rather satisfied Blaise Zabini who made his way back down to the Dungeons with his two friends at the end of the school day. Draco was still obviously scheming something or other, and Theo seemed content to roll his eyes at the two of them all the way down to the common room.

Once back in their dormitory, Blaise pulled out his potions essay. It was due in tomorrow and he needed to conclude it and read it over. After all, one couldn't pass up a chance for getting one up on a certain Gryffindor Prefect.

"Ow! Get your elbow the hell away from there….."

Blaise looked up from his essay to see that Draco had plopped himself pretty much across Theo, who was sprawled out on his bed with a book.

"I'm comfortable, why on earth would I want to do that?" asked an unconcerned Draco.

"Well, I'm actually rather fond of them and would like to keep them fully functioning if you know what I mean." Theo said, throwing the smaller boy onto the floor.

"Hmph" Draco muttered, looking up at Blaise with a smirk.

"Whatcha doooing?"

Blaise huffed and took off the glasses he usually wore for reading.

"I am attempting to finish my potions essay; you might want to try it"

"Sev isn't exactly going to fail me for it" he said with a nonchalant shrug.

"The whole Godfather thing isn't going to sail you through your entire NEWT you know Drake." Theo added without looking up from his own book.

"Yeah besides, you don't have any time to do it later. You know well enough that were moving on to a new assignment tomorrow, I just hope for the sake of my grades I don't have to pair up with you" Blaise said, trying to carry on with his essay.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, a strange look forming on his face.

"What do you mean paired up?"

"I mean" Blaise said irritably, "that we are being paired for a potions assignment tomorrow, the one that counts toward 30 of our grade."

Draco didn't say anything, but the strange look slowly gave way to the blonde's previous scheming expression, only this time a full blown grin covered his face.

It was, in Blaise's opinion, highly disconcerting to see any Malfoy grin in such a manner, and when that Malfoy was Draco, you just knew something bad was about to happen. Theo seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as he started to edge further away from Draco.

Draco just continued to grin like a maniac, before jumping up and grabbing his cloak.

"I'll be back" was all he said before darting toward the door.

"Where are you going…?" Blaise tried, but their Slytherin friend was already out of sight.

He looked up to his dark haired friend who just shrugged.

"You know sometimes, I think he's one crucio short of a straight jacket." He said, giving Blaise a bemused look.

"You wouldn't be wrong."

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A/N: Not as good as the last ending I know. But please review anyway; I need to know if it's worth me carrying on! Also, the read and review ratio is about 1 review for every hundred people who read this story according to my stats, so please do take the time to do it, even if you hate it .

Oh and feel free to email (on my bio), or leave your email and a question in a review if you have any stuff you want me to answer, I want to reply to all your reviews but it takes up space!


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